The Danger of Decisional Regeneration

• The Nature of Proverbs [00:04:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that Proverbs is not systematic or chronological like other Bible books, but is designed as a personal conversation between a father and son to provide practical, verse-by-verse life lessons.
• The Heart and Life's Direction [00:06:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > Citing Proverbs 4:23, the pastor emphasizes guarding the heart because all life issues spring from it, determining whether one honors God or self.
• Boldness vs. Guilt [00:08:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > Contrasting Proverbs 28:1, the pastor illustrates that the wicked flee due to guilt and paranoia, while the righteous are bold as lions because of their standing in Christ.
• Review of Previous Studies [00:11:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recaps four previous lessons: wising up to distinguish wisdom types, showing up to opportunities, waking up to the spiritual war, and standing up to the world's allurements.
• Spiritual Warfare and Worldliness [00:11:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the conflict between good and evil, highlighting the allure of the world and the perverse nature of those who see evil in everything.
• Sanctification and Spiritual Growth [00:17:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that spiritual maturity is a methodical process where God 'peels back layers' of sin over time, rather than an instantaneous removal of all faults.
• The Path of Goodness (Halak) [00:16:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > An exegesis of the Hebrew word 'halak' (to walk), defining it as a continuous journey toward a destination without delay, specifically walking in the way of goodness.
• Eternal Perspective and Heaven [00:22:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the imagery of a road leading to a 'golden city' to encourage believers to focus on their eternal destination rather than the difficulties of the current journey.
• The Nature of Goodness and the 'I Am' [00:24:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines 'goodness' using the Hebrew word 'tab' and connects it to God's self-identification as 'I Am' in Exodus 3, asserting that only God is truly good.
• Christology and Jesus' Divinity [00:28:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that Jesus claimed to be the 'I Am' in John 8, refuting those who deny His divinity, and uses the Rich Young Ruler story to show Jesus pointing to His own goodness.
• The Urgency of Salvation [00:29:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the observation that time seems to accelerate as one ages, the pastor urges listeners to get saved now because life is short and eternity is the goal.
• Self-Life vs. God's Path [00:32:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the 'self-life' (hedonistic, self-absorbed) with the 'path of goodness,' listing various dichotomies like joy vs. depression and life vs. death.
• Biblical Evidence of God's Goodness [00:34:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recites multiple scripture verses (Psalm 65, Exodus 34, Psalm 23, etc.) to demonstrate that God is the source of all good gifts and mercy.
• Joy and Faith [00:38:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a dog's tail wagging to describe the instinctive, joyful response of a believer to the goodness of God upon seeing Jesus by faith.
• Security of Salvation [00:39:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues against the idea that salvation can be lost, citing verse 21 to assert that the upright will dwell in the land, and warns against ministries that use fear to control believers.
• Abiding in Christ [00:41:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explaining the Hebrew word 'dwell,' the pastor illustrates the concept of settling down and being at home with God, using the analogy of a memory foam bed shaped by one's body.
• Rest for the Soul [00:42:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Contrasting physical sleep issues with spiritual reality, the pastor asserts that while bodies may suffer, the soul finds absolute rest in Christ.
• Judgment and the Wicked [00:44:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > Analyzing the Hebrew word 'karat' (cut off), the pastor explains that the wicked are cut off from the earth, linking this to the Messiah being 'cut off' for sins He did not commit.
• Universal Sin and Condemnation [00:50:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor declares that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, rejecting human standards ('grading on a curve') in favor of Jesus as the only standard, leading to the conclusion that all are condemned without Him.
• Call to Decision [00:52:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor issues an urgent appeal for the congregation to stop 'goofing off' and make a decision for Jesus Christ, warning that the Holy Spirit's conviction may feel like an urge to leave.
• Human Effort and Condemnation [00:51:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that human morality and effort are an affront to God and a curse because they imply Jesus needed help, leading to the conclusion that without Christ, one is condemned.
• The Valley of Decision [00:53:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the metaphor of a 'valley of decision' to describe the present moment as a critical time where eternal choices are made, emphasizing the urgency of responding to God's voice.
• Eternal Consequences and Salvation [00:54:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites Matthew 25 and John 6 to contrast eternal punishment for the cursed with eternal life for those who believe in Jesus, highlighting the binary nature of the choice.
• Confession and Belonging to Christ [00:56:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > Referencing Matthew 10, the pastor emphasizes that confessing Jesus before men results in Christ confessing the believer before the Father, while denial leads to rejection.
• The Urgency of Repentance [00:58:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor challenges the congregation to consider their eternal destiny if they were to die immediately, urging them to stop 'hoping' and to have certain knowledge of their salvation through faith.

• Sermon Illustration [00:12:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote from his time as a supervisor in a global research lab, where he confronted a coworker telling a dirty joke by simply looking at him, demonstrating how to stand up to worldly behavior.
• Sermon Illustration [00:08:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a driver seeing a police car to illustrate the concept of 'guilt, shame, and paranoia' described in Proverbs 28:1, where the wicked flee even when innocent because they are aware of their own hidden sins.
• Sermon Illustration [00:12:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote from his time as a supervisor in a research lab at a global corporation. He describes a colleague who told dirty jokes; when the colleague started a joke in the pastor's lab, the pastor simply looked at him. The colleague apologized, and the pastor replied, 'Don't tell me you're sorry. I didn't die on the cross for your sins.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:14:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical story of Potiphar's wife flirting with Joseph, noting that while it seemed serious and horrible at the time, it ended up great for Joseph in the long run.
• Sermon Illustration [00:15:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a roadway or highway to describe the Christian life, where God invites believers to 'step up' from the world onto the path of righteousness, with the Word of God serving as the signage/guidance along the way.
• Sermon Illustration [00:17:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor illustrates the process of sanctification by describing God 'peeling back layers' of a believer's life like an onion, removing sins (like a foul mouth or temper) gradually over time until the believer is fully mature.
• Sermon Illustration [00:21:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress,' specifically the character Christian's resolve to go forward despite the fear of death, because 'to go back is nothing but death' and everlasting life lies ahead.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story of calling his daughter to excitedly share his study on the Hebrew word for goodness ('tab'), explaining its deep theological meaning related to the 'I AM'.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about calling his daughter to excitedly share the meaning of the Hebrew word for goodness, and later recounts the death of his Yorkie, whose grave was marked with James 1:17 by his son Jeff.
• Sermon Illustration [00:27:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes a 'lunatic' on a Christian TV program who claimed to be 'I Am' himself, which the pastor labels as blasphemous heresy.
• Sermon Illustration [00:29:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the common experience of time feeling like it speeds up as one gets older (from ninth grade to adulthood) as an illustration of the brevity of life and the need for salvation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the behavior of dogs—specifically their unconditional, immediate joy when seeing a stranger—as an analogy for how believers should react to seeing Jesus, suggesting the world would be better if people were more like dogs.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes encountering a stranger's dog whose tail wags enthusiastically despite no prior interaction, using this as an analogy for the believer's instinctive joy when seeing Jesus.
• Sermon Illustration [00:41:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his memory foam bed, noting how it has taken the shape of his body, to illustrate the concept of 'dwelling' or settling down into a place of rest and familiarity with God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor humorously complains about teenagers sleeping 14 hours a day, contrasting their physical rest with the spiritual rest available to believers.
• Sermon Illustration [00:52:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references J. Vernon McGee's definition of morality (not smoking, chewing, or going with girls who do) to satirize the idea of self-righteousness and human effort in salvation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:52:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a humorous anecdote about J. Vernon McGee's advice to not smoke, chew, or date girls who do, using it to illustrate how people often latch onto superficial moral rules while missing the deeper spiritual reality of condemnation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:53:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes a visceral feeling of divine conviction, likening it to a 'big finger' poking a person in the heart, causing an urge to leave the service because the truth is confronting them.
• Sermon Illustration [00:58:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the imagery of a 'stairway,' 'ladder,' or 'elevator' to describe the journey from the world to God's kingdom, inviting the congregation to step onto this path.

• Pastoral Charge [00:03:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > Scan the QR code to access sermon notes.
• Pastoral Charge [00:03:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > Take notes on the provided materials.
• Pastoral Charge [00:14:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > Exercise extreme caution regarding enticing or seemingly cute things that may be traps from the enemy.
• Pastoral Charge [00:16:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > Write down the concept of 'goodness' as a key takeaway from the study.
• Pastoral Charge [00:25:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > Adopt the question 'What is his name?' into their daily vocabulary when discussing God.
• Pastoral Charge [00:30:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > Come to Jesus and get saved immediately
• Pastoral Charge [00:35:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Repent and come to God
• Pastoral Charge [00:52:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor commands the ushers to lock the doors and explicitly asks the congregation to stop 'goofing off' and make a decision for Jesus Christ immediately.
• Pastoral Charge [00:52:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > Stop casual behavior and make a decision for Jesus Christ immediately.
• Pastoral Charge [00:56:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > Profess belief in Jesus Christ's lordship, death, resurrection, and forgiveness, and give one's life to Him.
• Pastoral Charge [01:01:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > Allow oneself to be born again into God's world.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] Somebody asked me recently, why are you doing the book of Proverbs? The question I want to ask back is, why not do the book of Proverbs? Actually, I don't pick the books that we study. I just want you to know that. So we were in Romans and now we're in the book of Proverbs. I like going from the Old Testament to the New Testament and then back to the Old like that. I do like that, but I think you pray and you seek the Lord and he gives you the book. And I don't know, but it seems like we all need to do the book of Proverbs.
[00:00:30] wisdom. And this is the book of wisdom. So we're talking about the way of wisdom in this section that will save your life. And so we'll read it together. It's very well, you're very well
[00:00:41] acquainted with this. I'll start in chapter 10. We'll go down to the end. And today we'll finish the entire chapter. We'll finish the closing end part of it today. When wisdom enters your heart

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:53] and knowledge is pleasant to your soul. Discretion will preserve you. Understanding will keep you.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:01:00] To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:01:07] From those who lead the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness.

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:01:12] Who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perversity of the wicked.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:01:17] Whose ways are crooked and who are devious in their paths.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:01:21] Verse 16, to deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:01:28] who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:01:34] For her house leads down to death and her paths to the dead.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:01:38] None who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:01:43] And here's what will be today.
[00:01:45] So you may walk in the way of goodness and keep to the paths of righteousness.
[00:01:50] For the upright will dwell in the land and the blameless will remain in it.
[00:01:55] But the wicked will be cut off from the earth and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
[00:02:02] Father, we pray today that you would take your holy, pure, perfect word, the Bible, that you would lift these few verses we'll be looking at in the closing of this chapter up off the pages
[00:02:14] and have them, Lord, be embossed upon our hearts.
[00:02:18] We ask you, Father God, that your Holy Spirit would enlighten our hearts and minds to understand what it is that we're learning.
[00:02:26] And then, Lord, we know your Bible tells us that we're not to be hearers only of the word of God, but doers of the word.
[00:02:32] We have come to be discipled by the Holy Spirit today.
[00:02:37] So Lord, we have expectancy in our heart.
[00:02:40] We're looking to you to speak to us.
[00:02:43] And Father, may we leave this place a transformed people.
[00:02:47] We thank you, Lord God, for your love, your grace, your mercy, most of all, your gospel.
[00:02:53] We praise you in Jesus' name.
[00:02:54] And all God's people said, amen.
[00:02:56] You may be seated, everybody.
[00:02:57] And it's a fact that wisdom will save your life.
[00:03:02] And I want to read a few things as we get into this section, which will be the fifth section.
[00:03:08] And if you have taken, and I hope you do this.
[00:03:13] Do you guys scan the notes?
[00:03:15] You can have them.
[00:03:16] It won't bite you.
[00:03:17] It won't break your phone.
[00:03:19] But you can have all the notes because honestly, I'm not kidding.
[00:03:22] I never cover all the notes that I have.
[00:03:26] And so if you have, if you take the QR code and you scan that every week or all the time, you'll get another installment into a folder or a file that you can create.
[00:03:36] And some of you are so savvy that you put it onto your tablet or your iPad and you can have the notes, but you also personalize them by you adding your own comments along the margins.
[00:03:50] It's very smart.
[00:03:51] And I love that.
[00:03:52] I know personally, I learn much more if I take notes.
[00:03:56] And so we encourage you to do that.
[00:03:58] That said, I want to go right into what is on the notes in page two.
[00:04:02] And that is the first quote.
[00:04:04] Unlike any other book of the Bible, please listen to this.
[00:04:07] The book of Proverbs is not what we are accustomed to when it comes to studying the Bible.
[00:04:13] We're used to a systematic order of things or a chronology to the learning.
[00:04:18] that is because most often the bible is structured and arranged in themes or outlined by particular doctrines but the book of proverbs is not like that rather it is designed as a personal conversation so moms and dads listen up between a father and a son it is to equip us with such
[00:04:42] in such a way that we might live a practical godly and holy life with every proverb we are given a takeaway lesson that we can practically live out so as to develop an effective bold and faith-filled
[00:04:58] life in the midst of a sin-filled world now to that look at this next statement by uh pastor Ray Stedman, Dr. Ray Stedman. He's now in heaven. I can't wait to meet him. He was a great expositor
[00:05:13] of the Bible. No other book of the Old Testament appears to be quite as difficult to outline as the book of Proverbs. Like the dictionary, it seems to change the subject with every verse.
[00:05:28] That is the problem, and yet therein is the blessing. You could, and I don't encourage you to do this, but if you were going to play Bible roulette, you know what Bible roulette is? Some
[00:05:40] Christians do that. We shouldn't do that. But if you were to go like this and say, hmm, where should I read today? Oh, I know. I'll read right here. And it says, and Judas went out and hung himself.
[00:05:52] Not so encouraging. I don't know if I would do that. But in the book of Proverbs, you can do that. You can go to one proverb because most often they'll make a statement and either that verse or
[00:06:04] the next verse, it will say something like this. Blessed are those who follow in the ways of God.
[00:06:11] Cursed be the man who seeks his own path. You see the contradiction, one against the other.
[00:06:19] And that's the book of Proverbs, very important. But don't be naive about the book of Proverbs.
[00:06:26] This is still true about this great book. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16 says, all scripture, Church, that includes the book of Proverbs, is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
[00:06:40] for instruction in righteousness.
[00:06:44] And in Proverbs chapter four, we know this, we saw this in the introduction of this book.
[00:06:49] The Bible says, Proverbs four, verse 23, keep your heart, guard it, watch over it.
[00:06:55] Listen, for all of us, it's true, but young people today, most importantly, young people, Keep or guard, set a watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
[00:07:11] Wow, your life is going to be lived out by the value that you have stored within your heart.
[00:07:19] If you value the things of God, you are going to live a life that honors God.
[00:07:23] If you don't, you're going to live a life that honors self.
[00:07:25] by the way that word issue in the Hebrew language a very powerful word it means from the center to the vanishing point I like that and beyond to the escapes that's an interesting statement the way it puts it to the escapes I had to look that up I didn't know what it meant
[00:07:43] to the escapes in old English means when you've gone as far as you can go you've just begun to go as far as you can go. It never stops. It never stops. The furthest point, all-encompassing
[00:08:01] and in all directions. For out of it, your heart, the issues of life will spring forth. So we want to conduct ourselves in God's wisdom. One more verse before we dive into this, and that is
[00:08:12] Proverbs 28 verse 1. It says there that the wicked flee when no one pursues. You know what that's called? That's called guilt, shame, and paranoia. The guilty are always, always looking over their shoulder because they've committed some sort of evil. So the wicked flee when no one pursues them.
[00:08:33] If somebody's guilty and they see a cop car and they haven't even done anything wrong yet, they're all nervous about it because they have been doing things wrong. And then they look in the rear view
[00:08:42] mirror, even though they're driving under the speed limit, and they keep looking to see if the letter. Come on. Why do you feel like that? Because you're very aware of the fact that that officer is actually justified in pulling you over for things that you know about yourself,
[00:08:59] even though you may not be guilty in the moment. Are you hearing me? That's kind of deep if you think about it. The Bible speaks about this. The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous
[00:09:09] are bold as lions or a lion. I like that. We should, listen, in Christ Jesus, that's where our righteousness comes from, right? If you're a Christian today, you should be as bold as a lion
[00:09:24] because you know the God of the universe and he's working in your heart. He's doing a number in your soul and he won't stop until he sees the image of his son reflected in you. That's the power of the
[00:09:35] word of God. And then one more before we dive into this is from the great Dr. H.A. Ironside. Boy, were we honored a few weeks ago here at this church where the grandson of Dr. H.A. Ironside
[00:09:47] was visiting here. And I'm glad I found that out after the service because I would have been horrifically nervous and intimidated just to be in the presence of Dr. Ironside's grandson.
[00:09:59] listen to what he says she is the ensnaring enemy he's talking about the immoral woman but he's also talking about the ways of the world she is the ensnaring enemy of morality and virtue who today
[00:10:13] as in Solomon's day pursues her nefarious traffic in the bodies and souls of the young and unwary forsaking the guide of her youth forgetting the covenant of her God she gives herself up to impure pleasures. And here's the point, soul destroying lust. This is a very
[00:10:35] powerful statement from where we were at last week. Remember how we talked about the immoral woman and the perverse man and the dangers that that combination provides. And we talked about how temptation can lure us in. We also learned that temptation comes from our flesh, from the
[00:10:53] world around us and from Satan. We also learned that a trial is engineered by God himself to make us more like Christ. The two are different, and we want to remember that. So church, I'm going to
[00:11:05] trust you to go look at all the previous notes, especially for those of you who are visiting for the first time, and you would care to do that, and all that we've studied. We've studied four
[00:11:15] key components to what is now the fifth and the closing argument, and I've kind of put it this way, I think it's kind of easier to remember. We saw in our four previous studies, number one,
[00:11:29] that the way of wisdom requires this of us, that we wise up. That we need to be people that wise up and understand that there's a worldly wisdom and there's a godly wisdom. You know this.
[00:11:39] Secondly, that we need to show up to the opportunities that God provides us as active believers. Thirdly, we saw that we need to wake up to the fact and stop hiding and stop playing games about it but to wake up to the fact that there is a good and that there is an evil and
[00:11:54] they're at war with each other and you have to deal with that every day of your life last week we looked how we need to stand up to the world that is around us as alluring and as uh what's
[00:12:09] the word enticing where the immoral woman flatters with her mouth we talked about that we talked about how the perverse man, everything he sees, he could see a bumblebee landing on a flower and he would think some perverse thought. Everything the perverse man sees is dirty. You ever know
[00:12:34] people like that? I've known people like that. I used to work with some people like that.
[00:12:38] For the record, not at church. I used to work for a big global corporation. I was a supervisor in a research lab. And we had people from all over the world working with us. But one of the things was,
[00:12:54] like your job, there's always somebody there that's always cussing and dirty jokes and all this kind of stuff. And it was no secret that I was a Christian. And the fun thing is, that was my lab. So when they wanted to test their stuff, they had to come into my domain.
[00:13:10] And it was Christian.
[00:13:12] I was told not to do that, but it was my lab.
[00:13:17] And so he came in one day and I didn't have to say anything and something was going on and he starts telling a dirty joke and I turned around and I just looked.
[00:13:25] I just looked at him.
[00:13:27] And he saw me looking at him and goes, I'm sorry.
[00:13:31] And I said, don't tell me you're sorry.
[00:13:33] I didn't die on the cross for your sins.
[00:13:36] I mean, just kind of twist it a little bit.
[00:13:41] But, but yes, that's, listen, we stand, we love, we hold on to the truth because God has done a work in our lives and he's delivered us from the power of all of that. And yet the perverse man
[00:14:00] sees evil in everything. The immoral woman is always looking for the next guy, the next sexual high. And she often uses words. And we talked about it. I'm not going to talk about it again.
[00:14:13] Somebody told me that they laughed too hard. It wasn't right for me to make people laugh in church.
[00:14:17] But I talked, I got rebuked. You should not laugh at church. But I told you about Potiphar's wife flirting with Joseph and how horribly serious that was. And it was. It ended up great for Joseph,
[00:14:36] not so great for her, I'm sure. In the long run, of course, God's people will always win out. But the fact of the matter is this. Watch out for things that you think are enticing and maybe even
[00:14:47] cute. The enemy has loaded a barrel against you. So be very, very careful about that. So we're going to dive into this. And it is number five in our study. And it's verses 20 to 22. And it is
[00:15:03] this, that we walk up. Walk up. And when I say walk up, I mean this, walk up, not to the counter, but walk up to where God is calling you. Think about a roadway. All day today in our study,
[00:15:16] think about a roadway that God, his people are on, and we're heading to heaven. And God is inviting us in these closing arguments to step up out of the world and walk up onto the path of righteousness.
[00:15:30] He's speaking to his son, Solomon is, and he's saying to his son, I want you to live above the fray. I want you to live in a realm and in a level where the presence of God exists in your life as
[00:15:42] a believer. And whatever you do in life, it's always in the confines of God being your God.
[00:15:51] And that's how you and I ought to live in the most, I think, dynamic way. And the first thing that we see in verse 20 is, and I just love this. Forgive me if we spend a lot of time on this one,
[00:16:03] and that is to walk up on the path of goodness. And I'm going to ask you to mark goodness down because we may not often think about it, but get ready to write that down. He says in verse 20,
[00:16:15] so you may walk in the way of goodness. So Christian, listen up, walk in the way of goodness and keep to the paths of righteousness.
[00:16:27] And the first thing we want to study and to know, because watch everybody, when you approach the Bible, you say, okay, this is God's word.
[00:16:34] How do I do the way of goodness?
[00:16:36] And how do I get onto the paths of righteousness?
[00:16:39] Well, you go to the word walk.
[00:16:40] Let's find out what the word walk means.
[00:16:43] The word walk is this, halak in Hebrew, and it is to go, to get up onto the path.
[00:16:50] so let's climb the ladder as it were or let's take the stairs to a roadway it means to journey on to continue on walking in the way oh sounds like Jesus speaking to be on your way to a destination
[00:17:06] and not allowing a delay this is powerful not allowing a delay God is inviting you and I the number one thing in verse 20 is I want you to walk on the paths of goodness and it starts with how
[00:17:19] you walk. Come up off the path or the roadway. So I want to stop in my life. You want to stop in your life. And I want to look into my life and say, Lord, I've been a Christian for some 50 years
[00:17:31] now. And I'm asking you, I don't want to take anything for granted. I'm asking you, God, to reveal within me things that are not acceptable to you, things that are not right with you. Or how
[00:17:41] about this? All of your life as a Christian, God has been working. Let's be honest. Come on. He peels one layer at a time. He doesn't rip things open. You know, sometimes in our emotionalism that
[00:17:54] we have, we want God to just rip everything open and get it done in one moment. And he doesn't do that. It's kind of frustrating, don't you think? I want, look, I want to be spiritually mature now.
[00:18:06] Jesus, I want to have patience now. Exactly. You got how ridiculous that is. It doesn't work that way. He is so methodical. He is so patient. He is so sometimes slow moving, but listen, he goes deep. He goes deep, but listen, he goes deep by going deeper with each layer that he
[00:18:33] peels from your life. So when you become a new believer, maybe you have a foul mouth and the first layer that goes off, he just stops it immediately is he takes away the power that
[00:18:44] your mouth has been held captive to when you have these bad words that come out. He fixes that immediately. Or it could be temper. Fill in the blank for you. He starts in your life somewhere
[00:18:55] and what is he doing? He's inviting you up to that highway, that roadway, that journey. And he's saying, come up here. And to do that, he begins to go to work. And someone, listen, others on that
[00:19:09] journey, we're all, I hope, right? Man, I know there's a lot of people here right now, but I'm and assume we're all following Jesus.
[00:19:15] Maybe that's not true.
[00:19:17] Maybe today the Holy Spirit will say to you, you need to get on this road.
[00:19:22] But let me just say it this way.
[00:19:23] We're on the road.
[00:19:26] And on that road, we're looking for constant guidance and signage.
[00:19:31] And the word of God is that signage.
[00:19:33] And the word of God will show us something and God will say, well, Jack, you know what?
[00:19:38] When you came to me, remember this happened immediately?
[00:19:40] And then six months later I did this and then four years later, I did this.
[00:19:45] And then 10 years later, I did this.
[00:19:47] I kept peeling back the layers until, listen, until God peels back the layers of your life and there's nothing left.
[00:19:57] There's nothing left.
[00:19:58] I personally believe that that last layer is the day that you and I graduate.
[00:20:04] I think that's graduation day.
[00:20:06] I really do.
[00:20:07] I believe that the day that you and I walking with Jesus, that you and I die is the day that God in his infinite wisdom knows, that's it.
[00:20:16] He's finished his course.
[00:20:20] I peeled back every layer I wanted to peel back.
[00:20:22] I'm done with him.
[00:20:23] It's time for him to come home.
[00:20:27] You're clothed.
[00:20:27] The Bible says even now, you and I are clothed in the righteousness of God.
[00:20:32] Wow.
[00:20:33] So yes, sanctification, he's peeling back the layers.
[00:20:36] He's inviting us to come up on that journey, on that road, on that path.
[00:20:41] But the first thing is we need to agree with God we are gonna walk it.
[00:20:46] We are going to walk it.
[00:20:47] We're not talkers, we are walkers, right?
[00:20:52] Everybody, how's that old saying go?
[00:20:54] He talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk.
[00:20:57] Listen, we wanna be both talkers and walkers where there's no hypocrisy, it's the same thing.
[00:21:02] Are we gonna be perfect?
[00:21:03] Not until all the layers are peeled.
[00:21:06] So be gentle.
[00:21:07] You know, it's kind of cute.
[00:21:08] There's a Christian sticker or shirt that says, be patient with me, I'm under construction. That's true for all of us. That's true for all of us.
[00:21:18] But what a tremendous, powerful word that is. The path of goodness. Listen to this, for some of you who might remember this, from the book of John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress. Wow, right? I don't want to get off the path, but if you've not read this book, it's now in many versions, modern
[00:21:39] English, but you should know this to help provoke you to read it. No other book in the history of mankind has been published annually like Pilgrim's Progress. It's published every year from 1678 to this very day. It's the second most sold book in the world to the Bible. The most published book
[00:22:05] and printed book is the Bible. Bunyan, John Pilgrim's Progress is the second. It was written in prison. You want to know why he was in prison? Because the Church of England arrested John Bunyan because he was preaching that you must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven. And the
[00:22:24] Church of England said, no way. If you're a member and you pay your tithe, then you go to heaven.
[00:22:31] And Bunyan said, that's heresy.
[00:22:33] Jesus said, you must be born again.
[00:22:35] And God gave him this dream.
[00:22:38] He had a dream.
[00:22:40] Got up and he wrote it down.
[00:22:42] And it's one of the greatest books ever written.
[00:22:46] But in this book, the main character is the man Christian.
[00:22:50] And Christian says, to go back is nothing but death.
[00:22:55] Think about it.
[00:22:56] We're on the road.
[00:22:56] We're heading to heaven, folks.
[00:22:57] it's dark and foggy and stormy behind us we're on the path and ahead you can see the glistening gold of the kingdom ahead think of this christian says to go back is nothing but death to go forward is
[00:23:13] the fear of death think of this that's reality and life everlasting beyond it i will yet go forward Translation, I'm not going back.
[00:23:28] Going ahead, what if there's death?
[00:23:30] If there is death and it is out there, is it the end of me?
[00:23:36] Oh no, everlasting life is on the other side of death.
[00:23:39] For that reason, I'm gonna go forward.
[00:23:42] And I wanna challenge you today, what are you living for?
[00:23:44] What is the passion of your life?
[00:23:45] What's the purpose?
[00:23:47] What is your end goal?
[00:23:49] To achieve, to acquire, to what?
[00:23:52] I pray today, and I hope it's in the hearts of all of us, that our desire is to get to the end of the road to that golden city, that city that God said or Abraham said,
[00:24:03] I want to go to a city whose builder and maker is God.
[00:24:08] That's the passion of the believer.
[00:24:11] And what a great message we have to share that truth.
[00:24:15] But let's look at this word goodness.
[00:24:17] This is amazing.
[00:24:18] I was so excited studying this.
[00:24:20] I called my daughter when she was teaching a class.
[00:24:22] I called my, or teaching the kids.
[00:24:24] I called her up.
[00:24:25] I said, look, I've been calling family members.
[00:24:28] Nobody answered the phone.
[00:24:29] They probably saw me calling.
[00:24:30] Now I don't want to talk to him.
[00:24:32] And she picked up the phone.
[00:24:34] I go, you got to hear this.
[00:24:38] I told her the Hebrew word tab is for goodness.
[00:24:43] The word means the good.
[00:24:45] All that is pleasing, pleasant, agreeable, fulfilling.
[00:24:49] All that is preferred above all things.
[00:24:51] Watch this.
[00:24:52] The I am, the eternal.
[00:24:54] All becoming one.
[00:24:56] the one that becomes what you need all that is wrapped up in the word goodness you say what how can that possibly be goodness is wrapped up in the description or points to the great i am
[00:25:07] oh yeah absolutely uh first of all mark this down exodus chapter three then moses said to god remember he's at the burning bush then moses said to god indeed when i come to the children of
[00:25:22] Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you. And they say to me, what's his name? Which, by the way, are you guys awake? Which, by the way, please, can you put this in
[00:25:34] your vocabulary as of today? What is his name? This is key. When people talk about gods, oh, do you believe in God? You ask people, oh, do you believe in God? Do you believe in God?
[00:25:47] And they'll say, of course, yes. Ask them, what's his name? Ask them, what is the name of your God?
[00:25:59] They said to Moses, or he's preparing, if they ask me, what do I say? And so, and they said to me, what is his name? What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I am who I am. That's the answer.
[00:26:15] I am who I am. And he said, thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I am has sent me to you.
[00:26:24] What is this I am? What is this God? This God of the Bible who says, I am who I am. This is what it means. I am the one who is absolutely self-contained, eternally existing. I am outside
[00:26:41] all things that exist because I am the origin of what exists. I do not live in time. I am not physical. I'm spirit. And I am the one and only. There's no other. There's not a second I am.
[00:27:01] I think I saw some lunatic on, I'm not going to say what Christian program, but the guy, I mean, I mean to tell you, I actually have this on tape because I thought, I thought I was going
[00:27:13] to witness somebody frying on television. This guy said, this guy said, I'm telling you right now, Jesus said that he's the, I am. Listen, it scares me to say it. He said, I just stepped back and I
[00:27:31] look up into heaven and I tell him I am too. Yeah. And with that, I stepped back thinking my TV was going to blow up. I rewound it and I saved that. Ladies and gentlemen, that's not only heresy.
[00:27:47] I'm trying to think of a word that's greater than that. Absolutely blasphemous, diabolical, satanic. There's only one I am and you're not it. And I'm not it. It is the Lord God Almighty.
[00:28:05] And so much so in John chapter eight, verse 58, and you can read John eight to get the whole theater of the matter. This is an absolute mind-blowing moment. So Jesus said to them, the scribes and the Pharisees and the teachers of the word of God, Jesus said to them, most
[00:28:21] assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, if somebody ever tells you that Jesus never claimed to be God, know this, they are playing upon your ignorance or they may not know themselves.
[00:28:35] Know this, Jesus referred to himself as the great singular I am.
[00:28:42] Jesus was saying to those leaders, the one that Moses was talking to in the burning bush on Mount Sinai is me, known as a Christophanes or Theophanes, one and the same, one God manifested to us.
[00:28:58] Mark chapter 10, verse, am I, I'm sorry, I'm yelling.
[00:29:01] I'm so excited about who he is.
[00:29:04] and when he says, come and get on this path, let's go, let's walk together.
[00:29:07] It's like, yeah, I'm gonna leave the stuff of the world behind.
[00:29:10] It's not worth it.
[00:29:11] For what, five minutes, 10 minutes?
[00:29:14] A mere lifetime of what?
[00:29:15] What do we promise, 70 years?
[00:29:19] Anything after that the Bible says, basically, good luck.
[00:29:25] No, it's not worth it.
[00:29:28] God is so good, by the way.
[00:29:29] Have you noticed, if you're not a Christian, you need to check this out.
[00:29:31] Have you noticed the older you get, the faster time goes?
[00:29:35] Remember when you're in like ninth grade?
[00:29:37] school lasted for like three years, and then you notice when you graduated as a senior, maybe you went to college, maybe you went to career, maybe you went to the military, and all of a sudden, one year went by in about six months, and then now, listen, I'm,
[00:29:55] and at that age, at that age, I, look, what is this? Is this July? This is July? No, no, it's not.
[00:30:06] It's still the end of January for me.
[00:30:10] You know what I'm talking about time?
[00:30:11] Are you getting older?
[00:30:12] Have you noticed time is flying?
[00:30:13] That's God saying to you, dude, you ain't got much time left.
[00:30:16] You better come to my son Jesus and get saved now because you're running out of time.
[00:30:23] Now, as he was going out on the road, one came running, all these beautiful things.
[00:30:28] This is what every pastor wants to see happen.
[00:30:31] Somebody running into the church, they kneel down and they start asking questions.
[00:30:35] This man running knelt down before Jesus and asked him, good teacher, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?
[00:30:44] So Jesus answered and said to him, why do you call me good?
[00:30:47] No one is good but one, that is God.
[00:30:51] And right then, this is a big silence.
[00:30:54] And Jesus is like, look, put the pieces together.
[00:31:00] This is the rich young ruler, by the way, if you don't know who this is.
[00:31:03] Come on, dude, you're smart.
[00:31:06] There's only one good, and that's God.
[00:31:07] Go ahead.
[00:31:08] You called me good.
[00:31:10] God's the only one good.
[00:31:12] You're almost there.
[00:31:13] Say it.
[00:31:17] That man went away.
[00:31:18] You know how this happened.
[00:31:20] That man went away because it's not that he didn't believe in who Jesus was.
[00:31:23] He went away because it says he loved his possessions.
[00:31:28] This is the point.
[00:31:29] Jesus says there's only one good, and that's God.
[00:31:33] And that meaning you saw a moment ago refers to, points to, the I am.
[00:31:39] In fact, when you and I say good morning, the word good means good morning, God's, old English, God's morning to you.
[00:31:49] Good afternoon was God's afternoon to you, my friend.
[00:31:54] Good night is God's night be upon you, my friend.
[00:31:59] We say good, that's good, that's good bacon, that's good ice cream, that's good.
[00:32:07] We've washed it away.
[00:32:08] Only God is good.
[00:32:09] I want to run through these little observations so that you may walk in the way of remember it's a path, it's a journey God's saying come up, walk up take the stairs I am the stairs
[00:32:25] Jesus would say come up here get on the path, let's go that you may walk in the way of the I am versus self-life self-life takes me back to the immoral woman self-life takes me back to the perverse man
[00:32:40] Self-life is what I want at your expense.
[00:32:46] Self-life is hedonistic, self-absorbed, self-centered.
[00:32:51] Isn't there a magazine called Self?
[00:32:53] Or is that gone?
[00:32:54] Used to be anyway.
[00:32:56] What a funny thing.
[00:32:56] What a funny world we live in.
[00:32:58] Books, magazines at the store like Self, me, us, people.
[00:33:10] Wouldn't it be great if there's a magazine at the church that said like, I mean, at the store that said, Jesus, Lord, God, and bold print, I am, and then smaller print, you're not, so that you may walk in the way of goodness versus evil.
[00:33:33] This is the journey.
[00:33:34] This is the course we're on, so that you and I may walk in the way of pleasantness versus grief, wow, so that you may walk in the way of love versus hate, that you may walk in
[00:33:46] the way of joy versus depression, life versus death, light versus darkness, safety versus fear, victory versus defeat, eternity versus today. The world says today, man, get it, grab it, get all the pleasure you can out of today. You don't know, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow
[00:34:11] you may die. God says, don't live like that. And the believer that is on that course, on that journey, on that path, is walk in a path of goodness.
[00:34:25] And about that goodness, get ready to write these down if you didn't scan the notes.
[00:34:29] Psalm 65, 11.
[00:34:31] Psalm 65, 11 says, you, that is God, crown the year with your goodness and your paths drip with abundance.
[00:34:39] That is awesome.
[00:34:41] By the way, this is my favorite.
[00:34:42] When you're gonna give somebody a birthday card, always put that in there.
[00:34:46] That's what I do.
[00:34:46] That's a great verse for a birthday card It's a great verse for December 31st or January 1st, right?
[00:34:56] It's a prayer.
[00:34:57] Next verse, Exodus 34, verse 6.
[00:35:01] And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth.
[00:35:14] Next verse, Psalm 23.
[00:35:16] You know this, verse 6.
[00:35:17] surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life these are the things of God next verse is verse Psalm 25 verse 8 good and upright is the Lord therefore he teaches sinners in the
[00:35:35] way that's exactly what we're talking about when God invites us up on this path to journey with him. He doesn't tell you to clean up your act and get yourself really, really presentable and then
[00:35:48] come on up. No, he's simply asking you to repent and come to him. He will restore that relationship and now you walk with him and all along the way, he's working in your life. It's a wonderful way
[00:36:03] to live. Technically, it's the only way to live. Next verse, Psalm 34, verse 8, O taste and see that the Lord is, what? Good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him. Why should you trust in the Lord? Because he is good. Next verse. Psalm 145 verse 9. The Lord is good to all
[00:36:26] and his tender mercies are over all his works. That's a great promise to hang on to. Next verse.
[00:36:34] Final verse. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God gives you good things.
[00:36:48] God gives us good things. This verse of Jeff Kearns, when our little, one of our little Yorkies, we don't have any dogs anymore. We don't have time for dogs anymore. But when we had a little
[00:37:00] bit of time for dogs, we had these little Yorkies and they're amazing little things.
[00:37:04] But our Yorkie died and I was here at church. She died that morning. I came to church.
[00:37:12] He buried her at our house.
[00:37:15] I came home that day and there's a little cross out in the backyard.
[00:37:19] Yeah, and Jeff wrote on that cross, James 1, 17, all good and perfect gifts come from the father of, isn't that sweet?
[00:37:27] And you think about your dog and don't write me, don't write me, everybody writes me on this one.
[00:37:31] Will my dog be in heaven?
[00:37:35] The way that dogs conduct themselves, there'll probably be more dogs in heaven than people.
[00:37:39] in fact I'm not kidding when I tell you I actually use that as a witnessing tool when I see a dog you always see a dog walking somewhere and the dog, you don't even know the dog
[00:37:52] you're walking by like you're exercising down the street and somebody walks by with their dog and the dog's tail's looking, I don't know the dog I've never given the dog anything there's no reason why for the dog to even
[00:38:02] notice me but he does and that's a good feeling, look at that it's like oh my goodness and then that causes me to say, hey, what's your dog's name? What kind of dog is this? How old is
[00:38:17] this dog? And the dog is just like, oh, it's, but I'm like all happy too, and I don't know who this guy is, but I'll always say this, and you can borrow it. I always say, you know, wouldn't it
[00:38:31] be amazing if the world, if people were more like dogs in this world, and so many people go, uh, yes well that's my job as a pastor is to get you like a dog because the moment you come in listen
[00:38:52] the moment the moment you see the face of Jesus by faith until we see him face to face your tail wagging you're all happy about it think about it there's an action it's beautiful it's amazing why
[00:39:07] because God's good he is very very good and he's the very source of goodness the second thing is in verse 21, and that is the path of security. And I don't have the time to get into this,
[00:39:18] but I'd really like to make some people upset right now who thinks that God's salvation is the kind of salvation that he takes back. Well, I'll give you salvation, but after 17 years, I'm going to take it back. Ladies and gentlemen, that's insanity. And if you've grown up in a
[00:39:35] church where that ministry has held you captive by fear, saying, well, you know, you stepped out a line and your salvation is in danger. You need to tell them, thank you so much for telling me that
[00:39:49] and then run like the wind because that is a nut house. That's not a church. Jesus doesn't kind of save you. The Bible says he's able to save us who come to him to the uttermost.
[00:40:04] So in verse 21, he says, for the upright will dwell in the land and the blameless will remain in it. Now, technically, for the theologians in here, you can circle that and you can mail this
[00:40:22] to Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson. That is a verse that guarantees, because God is speaking through Solomon, the word of God regarding the nation of Israel. You're gonna have to deal with it. It doesn't even mention Israel, but the context, Solomon's a Jew. He's in Israel. And
[00:40:43] the word of God is, you walk with me and you'll inherit the land. You'll dwell in it. That's what the word, listen, we know that word to mean or to be said as the remnant. God has his people,
[00:40:57] the Jew who's a remnant. And look, there's even a remnant in what is, watch my fingers, air quotes, the church. Within the church, there's the remnant of real believers. And that matters.
[00:41:10] the word dwell. This isn't just so great. The word dwell means to settle down into. I like that.
[00:41:22] Do you have your favorite chair? Do you have a favorite chair? Or what about your bed? Now, Lisa and I have a memory foam bed. Is that what that's the thing? And listen, if I were to lay
[00:41:34] on her side of the bed, it's like, this is wrong. If I lay on my side of the bed, this is right.
[00:41:44] I could be blindfolded and I could tell you what side of the bed's mine because it has taken on the shape of my body. To dwell with the Lord is to settle down into. It's to
[00:41:56] be at home with. It's to abide. John's gospel is a great gospel challenging us to abide in Christ.
[00:42:04] live with them. Can you imagine opening the door just like you do to your home? You open up the door and invite people in. If you desire today to say to Jesus, I don't want churchianity, I don't
[00:42:17] want all this whatever weirdness stuff, but Lord, I'm going to ask you, if you're for real, I'm going to open up the door of my heart and invite you in. Don't be surprised if he comes on in. Don't be
[00:42:32] surprised if he takes you up on that offer. It's his desire that you abide with him. So come to him to live life, to remain, and to be productive, fruitful. Last word, rested. Rested. Look, you and
[00:42:48] I, we may suffer in our physical life in this world of finding good sleep. That's not easy to do.
[00:42:55] And cheer up, you young people. Isn't it sad? Sleep is wasted on young people. We have teenagers now as grandchildren, and they'll sleep 14 hours, man.
[00:43:09] And it just really, really irks me to see that.
[00:43:12] It's like, I need that.
[00:43:17] And, you know, we just skimped by, rested.
[00:43:22] It may be true of your body that you need rest, but one thing is absolutely certain regarding our soul.
[00:43:30] Our soul, our spirit rests in Christ.
[00:43:35] Rest.
[00:43:37] When you lay your head down at night, do you rest?
[00:43:40] Can you rest when you lay your head down?
[00:43:44] The security of God, the goodness of God, and all of these things, it's amazing.
[00:43:51] And then finally, it's this, to walk up onto the path of life, life itself.
[00:43:57] Verse 22, don't be this, don't be this.
[00:44:02] This is the teaching by comparison in the opposite.
[00:44:07] But, you should highlight that word but, it's a tragic thing.
[00:44:15] It's a tragic thing if you live in verse 22.
[00:44:18] I don't live in verse 22.
[00:44:20] I used to live in verse 22.
[00:44:25] I live in verse 21.
[00:44:27] Verse 22 says, but the wicked will be cut off.
[00:44:31] Karat, Hebrew word.
[00:44:33] The wicked shall be killed because they commit.
[00:44:37] One little word means they have been cut off from the earth.
[00:44:43] One Hebrew word, karat, means you committed a capital offense and the right and just punishment for this offense is death.
[00:44:55] You want, hey, this is a side note.
[00:44:57] See the, oh, well, actually, I'm talking about the word.
[00:44:59] Can you guys put the word up there?
[00:45:01] There it is.
[00:45:01] See that word?
[00:45:02] It says karat, but it's karat.
[00:45:06] That said, watch this.
[00:45:11] To be killed by death, to be dead, to be killed by sin, death by sin, to be dead by sin, sin being fatal, a self-inflicted wound. Listen, before I give you the big punchline to this, the use of this word, if you commit a sin, that's on you. You know that?
[00:45:35] If I commit a sin, it's on me. By the way, in this day and age, do not get all caught up in when somebody commits a sin and then you get in on whatever's going on in their life. Why would
[00:45:47] you, why would you embrace their sin? And I mean embrace their sin, not the way that you're thinking. If somebody has sinned and then you go online and you're gossiping about their sin, they may have committed a horrific sin. But the moment you repeat a matter,
[00:46:04] God calls that gossip. Now you're sinning. Now I'm sinning. You say, wait a minute, that's the definition of social media. That's the problem. This is the exact same word that the Bible says in Daniel chapter nine, that the Messiah would come into the world
[00:46:24] and he would be cut off. The Messiah would be cut off. The Messiah of Israel, the anointed one, Daniel chapter nine, verses 24 to 27 says, you want to know how you identify Israel's Messiah?
[00:46:41] Yes. Tell us how. Well, the big deal is he's going to be cut off for committing a capital offense and for that he dies.
[00:46:53] What capital offense did Jesus commit?
[00:46:57] You have to think this through.
[00:46:58] He's sinless.
[00:47:00] So how does this apply to him?
[00:47:03] Ah, why did they kill him?
[00:47:06] Why did they coerce?
[00:47:07] Listen, the whole trial, all the trials that went on that night, all of those trials were illegal.
[00:47:13] The Jews could not hold trial at night.
[00:47:16] It's against the law.
[00:47:18] And they are pressuring the Romans to go along with their nefarious plot.
[00:47:27] Doesn't the Bible say that they hired liars to testify against Jesus?
[00:47:33] What was going on?
[00:47:37] They, God is so amazing.
[00:47:41] Did not the Bible tell us from Old to New Testament that the Messiah would die for our sins?
[00:47:46] Think of Isaiah 53.
[00:47:48] So how's the Messiah gonna die for our sins?
[00:47:50] He's going to die for our sins, but what about those who rejected him?
[00:47:55] Did God make them reject him?
[00:47:58] Did God condemn them so that they had to reject Jesus?
[00:48:04] Or was that in their heart to do?
[00:48:07] It was in their heart to do.
[00:48:10] But God who knows all things before they ever happen, we're studying this on Wednesday nights, he knew what they would do with the son of God when he would show up.
[00:48:20] They plotted to kill him.
[00:48:21] And it says they plotted to kill him because of envy and their indictment against him was this.
[00:48:29] We're not gonna kill you because of your miracles.
[00:48:32] We are gonna kill you because you are a man and you have declared yourself to be God.
[00:48:40] And to that, Jesus, when he was being crucified, he was silent.
[00:48:48] Why?
[00:48:49] Because there's nothing to say to that.
[00:48:52] It's true.
[00:48:55] Pilate said, are you a king?
[00:48:59] And Jesus said, are those your own words or did somebody put that in you?
[00:49:06] He says, I am a king, but my kingdom is not of this world.
[00:49:12] Wow.
[00:49:15] The king, who's the Messiah, who's the anointed one, you want to know who Jesus is?
[00:49:21] He's different than all of the Jesuses of all of the cults.
[00:49:25] And by the way, they all have them.
[00:49:27] Have you noticed that about cults?
[00:49:28] They're all goofy, weird, messed up, lost, and crazy.
[00:49:31] but somehow they've got to wiggle in jesus into their team to make it somewhat legit so they make him a prophet or they make him some enlightened one or some sage or some guru he is not a prophet sage or guru he's the eternal god and listen he's nothing less
[00:49:52] and he's everything perfect beyond what we'll ever know it'd take us eternity to get to know him but friends listen all this brings us into the place of decision notice that word uprooted very serious
[00:50:10] the second part of that verse is the unfaithful will be uprooted that word uprooted this is terrifying to be pulled up or to pull away from life to be seized upon by death to be suddenly torn away
[00:50:26] from the living the bible says those that are wicked will be suddenly pulled away from the earth with no hope. Well, who's wicked? The Bible says all of us have sinned and come short of the glory
[00:50:39] of God. Don't anybody in the sanctuary point at somebody else in this room and say, I recognize that guy. He's a murderer. That murderer can turn right back at you and say, I recognize you. You're
[00:50:50] an adulterer. I've never committed adultery in my life. Jesus said, if you've looked at a man or a woman and had lust in your heart for them, you're guilty of adultery already. You say, well, that's
[00:51:01] not fair. Well, it all depends on who's doing the grading. If we, notice when we do the grading, if it's our standards, we grade on a curve. And the curve always starts with me. And the curve
[00:51:14] always starts with you. God doesn't grade on a curve. There's one standard and it's Jesus. He's the standard. That's why God showed us his righteousness in Christ. There's no curve.
[00:51:25] There's a straight line. And the Bible says all of us have sinned. Every single one of us.
[00:51:30] and we're all condemned.
[00:51:33] You know the Bible says we're condemned without Jesus.
[00:51:36] You're not dumb.
[00:51:37] You can figure that out.
[00:51:38] If God came into this world and took upon himself human skin to die on the cross for us, that by his sacrifice, we might inherit eternal life because it's a free gift given, then any human effort on my part
[00:51:52] is an affront to God.
[00:51:55] My attempt to be a good person to get into heaven, my morality is a curse because I'm suggesting, yeah, Jesus is great, but he needed my help to finish me off.
[00:52:12] So I've been really moral ever since I started going to church now.
[00:52:16] I don't smoke or chew or go with girls who do.
[00:52:20] I heard that from J. Vernon McGee.
[00:52:22] Don't tell, don't blame me for that.
[00:52:24] That's what J. Vernon McGee said.
[00:52:26] And if he said it, then it's amazing.
[00:52:30] Don't judge like that.
[00:52:31] Listen, I am condemned.
[00:52:32] Do you understand?
[00:52:33] Without Jesus, I'm condemned to hell.
[00:52:34] That's what the Bible announces.
[00:52:38] I'm going to read you this, and I'm going to ask you today.
[00:52:43] Ushers, lock the doors.
[00:52:44] You have to lock the doors.
[00:52:45] I'm going to ask you today to stop goofing off and to make a decision for Jesus Christ today.
[00:52:50] Listen, you need to do that.
[00:52:52] Listen, I'm telling you up front for you to be aware.
[00:52:55] If God starts speaking to you, here's what you're going to feel like.
[00:52:57] You're going to feel like leaving.
[00:53:00] You've been here for 52 minutes.
[00:53:03] Why would you leave?
[00:53:04] You're almost done.
[00:53:06] I got to go.
[00:53:07] I just have to go.
[00:53:07] watch out for that because in a moment somebody's going to feel like that.
[00:53:12] It's like, you know what's happening?
[00:53:16] There's a big finger, so to speak, coming down through the ceiling and he's poking you right on the heart and he's saying, I'm talking to you.
[00:53:31] Verse 22 puts us in the valley of decision.
[00:53:33] I want to give you this quote.
[00:53:35] In the valley of decision, you and you alone are making decisions that will matter for all time and eternity.
[00:53:42] every day of every hour of every minute we are defining our lives by the decisions we make you ever think of that we don't think of that we're too busy to think of that so you're in the valley of decision right now
[00:53:57] Matthew chapter 25 verse 41 listen to what Jesus says Jesus said then he will also say to those on his left hand depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire for the devil and his angels
[00:54:13] prepared for the devil and his angels verse 46, and these will go away. That's that word. Taken away, grabbed, swept away into everlasting punishment. That's what Jesus said. Without Christ, we're in trouble.
[00:54:30] John chapter 6, verse 35 and 7. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. All that the Father gives me
[00:54:45] will come to me. That's active, friend. And the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. Valley of decision. Ephesians chapter 2. And you, speaking to the Christian, he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. It means we lived to sin. We lived to
[00:55:10] satisfy ourselves. In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according into the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, Satan, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves
[00:55:24] in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as others.
[00:55:33] But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love wherewith he loved us, even while we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
[00:55:44] by grace you have been saved and so friends listen i'm gonna ask you no i'm gonna uh what am i gonna do um i'm gonna ask you to remain seated i'm gonna ask you to prepare your heart
[00:55:59] i'm gonna ask you to not move not to disrupt in john excuse me in matthew chapter 10 verse 32 Jesus said, therefore, whoever confesses me before men, people, him, her, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
[00:56:25] My goodness, talk about the value of decision.
[00:56:28] Verse 32 is going to happen someday regarding you, regarding me.
[00:56:33] Listen, you could be here today and be not a believer at all.
[00:56:38] he'll answer that in another place if you do not confess me before men I will not confess you before my father which is in heaven this is serious you're in the valley of decision right now
[00:56:51] can you literally say from the heart that I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord that he died on the cross for my sins he rose again from the dead I come to him because he forgives my sins
[00:57:05] and I give him my life because he and he alone is worthy Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
[00:57:15] But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
[00:57:21] What's your decision?
[00:57:23] You see this?
[00:57:24] What's the choice?
[00:57:25] What are you gonna do with this?
[00:57:26] These are eternal words.
[00:57:27] These words Jesus spoke, recorded in the Bible, eyewitness accounts, not a joke.
[00:57:37] Father, we come before you and now I pray almighty God that the reality of who you are, what you are, that we in the totality of your person, we have this collision right now and we stand only to fall before you
[00:57:56] and say, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.
[00:58:00] We would say today, Lord, put me on the stairway, put me on the ladder, the elevator up to that path to walk and to journey from the world behind to your kingdom before.
[00:58:22] As we're in an attitude of prayer, nobody moves, please be reverent.
[00:58:27] If today God is speaking to you and if you were to die today, you're not sure you'd go to heaven.
[00:58:33] You hope, listen, you're in trouble if you're hoping.
[00:58:38] The Bible says these things have been written that you might know that you have eternal life.
[00:58:42] If you were to die today, would you go to heaven?
[00:58:44] Do you know that for sure?
[00:58:45] If with all that's going on in the world, but all of a sudden, your moment comes.
[00:58:50] Your heart skips a beat.
[00:58:53] Your vision begins to stroke out.
[00:58:56] You begin to see that you are in an imminent danger.
[00:59:00] If you died, would you go to heaven?
[00:59:04] The Bible says you're to know it.
[00:59:08] And that can be completely decided upon right here, right now.
[00:59:11] As heads are bowed and eyes are closed, I'm gonna ask you right now to put your hand up wherever you're at today in this place.
[00:59:19] And you're saying, Pastor Jack, I am giving my heart to Jesus.
[00:59:22] This makes total sense to me.
[00:59:24] And I sense the power of God poking upon my heart saying, I want you with me.
[00:59:28] I want you in heaven.
[00:59:30] God bless you to my right.
[00:59:31] Anyone else?
[00:59:32] God bless you to the left on the aisle over here again.
[00:59:35] Anyone else?
[00:59:35] High, put your hand up high because it's hard for me to, God bless you, sir.
[00:59:40] Over here on the aisle, several of you to my left in the back.
[00:59:47] You can put your hands down if you've not yet raised your hand.
[00:59:49] How about this?
[00:59:51] You haven't liked this invitation since it started coming out.
[00:59:54] You just, you don't want to hear this.
[00:59:57] Really?
[00:59:57] I want to ask you why.
[00:59:59] Think about it.
[01:00:00] Ask yourself why.
[01:00:01] I don't need to know.
[01:00:03] Why does this bother you?
[01:00:04] You feel like you're in the hot seat?
[01:00:06] How's that possible?
[01:00:07] I'm just a mere little tiny mortal man.
[01:00:11] See, the truth of the matter is you've heard the word of God.
[01:00:13] You may or may not recognize it, but God's word is speaking to you.
[01:00:19] And Jesus is saying, time is running out for you.
[01:00:22] and you can only confess me in the here and now.
[01:00:27] You'll never be given the chance after life.
[01:00:30] There is no chance after life.
[01:00:32] The Bible says to that, no.
[01:00:37] And you know that you should make this decision today.
[01:00:39] You haven't done it yet, but you know you should.
[01:00:41] And you're fighting God right now.
[01:00:44] Isn't it amazing?
[01:00:44] You're fighting him.
[01:00:48] Yes, it's true.
[01:00:49] I heard that, so to speak.
[01:00:51] You can't wait for this to be over.
[01:00:54] Little do you know that God is speaking to you and you're uncomfortable because he wants you to be born again.
[01:01:02] You were born into this world and here you are.
[01:01:06] Will you right now allow yourself to be born again into his world?
[01:01:12] Anyone, you agree with that, put your hand up.
[01:01:15] You didn't raise your hand before, but you're doing it now.
[01:01:18] God bless you.
[01:01:19] Anyone else?
[01:01:20] Awesome.
[01:01:20] That was for you.
[01:01:22] And obviously for you too.
[01:01:24] And for you in the aisle.
[01:01:27] God bless you in the back.
[01:01:29] Church, all of us, let's stand together.
[01:01:31] Let's pray this prayer.
[01:01:32] Those of you who lifted your hand, we're gonna pray this prayer together.
[01:01:38] Even though we're all praying it, it only works if you mean it.
[01:01:46] And Christians, can you pray it with them?
[01:01:49] It just sounds awesome.
[01:01:50] In fact, listen, Christian, let's rededicate our lives to the Lord today.
[01:01:57] I'm big on rededicating my life to the Lord tomorrow too.
[01:02:00] And then the day after that, and the day after that.
[01:02:04] Just be dedicated to him.
[01:02:06] Are you ready?
[01:02:06] those of you who lifted your hands most certainly let's do this heavenly father in Jesus name I come to you the Christ the son of God the savior of the world in his name I ask you to forgive me
[01:02:30] to wash away my guilt wash away my shame cause me now to be born again you are my lord and savior And I confess that truth, that Jesus Christ is Lord, crucified, resurrected, my Savior.
[01:03:02] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Praise God.